Myrica esculenta
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| Myrica esculenta | |
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| File:Kafal.jpg | |
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M. esculenta
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| Binomial name | |
| Myrica esculenta |
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| Synonyms | |
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Box myrtle |
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Myrica esculenta is a small tree or large shrub native to the hills of northern India and Nepal. Its common names include Box myrtle, Bayberry, Kafal (local name).[2]
Habitat
It is found in hilly regions of northern India and Nepal especially in the regions of Garhwal, Kumaun, and western Nepal especially at elevations between 3,000 and 6,000 feet.[3] It is also found at elevations below 1500 m in the midhills of Nepal.
Morphology
It has a tree of medium height i.e. 20 to 25 feet. Bark is soft and brittle. Leaves are conjoint, 1 to 2 feet long that has leaflets in pairs of 6 to 9 and has a width of ¼ inch. Flowers are of white color and are found in bunches. Fruit is a globose, succulent drupe, with a bard endocarp; diameter 1.1 to 1.3 cm; average mass 670 mg. Seeds are triangular in shape and are astringent in taste.
According to Ayurveda, it has two varieties based on the color of flower: Shwet (white) and Rakta (red).[3]
Chemical constituents
The bark is yellow and contains the chemical substances myricetin, myricitrin and glycosides.[3] Leaves of the plant also contain flavone-4'-hydroxy-3',5,5'-trimethoxy-7-O-β-I-D-glucopyranosy)(1→4)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside; flavone-3',4'-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside; β-sitosterol; β-sitosterol-β-D-glucopyranoside and quercetin.[4]
Toxicology
It has no toxic effect when consumed in normal dosage.[3][unreliable medical source?]
References
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Bamola A, Semwal DK, Semwal S, Rawat U. Flavonoid glycosides from Myrica esculenta leaves. Journal of the Indian Chemical Society. 2009;86(5):535-6.
